I think we have an aversion to the word bad. I often hear statements like the following :

Don’t get an attitude with me.

Looks like we’re going to get some weather this weekend.

The movie is good, but it’s got some language.

Of course, attitude implies a bad attitude, weather implies bad weather, and language implies bad language. I find this weird. A friend recommended a movie recently, but warned that it had “some language in it.” Of course, I replied, “Well, I hope so. I’m not a fan of silent films.”

I had never heard threatening weather referred to as simply “weather” until I moved here to southeastern Virginia. I wonder if it’s a regional thing. But it’s common for people to watch out for “weather” around here. Isn’t there always weather? Some weather seems pretty pleasant, in fact.

Some attitudes are clearly good too. Why must it be a bad thing to have an attitude?

It strikes me as pessimistic to assume all language, weather, and attitudes are bad. I can’t think of a case where we assume the best about essentially neutral words.

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Leave your comments below. Watch your attitude and your language.